Lagerstroemia Plant Named &#39;PIILAG B1&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Lagerstroemia  plant named ‘RAG B1’, characterized by its compact, rounded intermediate growth habit, reddish new growth, lustrous dark green foliage in summer, white flowers, and resistance to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

GENUS AND SPECIES OF PLANT CLAIMED

Lagerstroemia L.

VARIETY DENOMINATION

‘PIILAG B1’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Lagerstroemia plant, botanically known as Lagerstroemia L., commonly known as crapemyrtle, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘PIILAG B1’. ‘PIILAG B1’ is grown primarily as an ornamental for landscape use and for use as a potted plant.

‘PIILAG B1’ originated from open-pollinated seed of an unnamed and unpatented seedling known to the inventor as #5 growing in Watkinsville, Ga. The cultivar ‘PIILAG B1’ originated in 2008 and was selected in a cultivated environment in Watkinsville, Ga. from the progeny of this open-pollination by continued evaluation for growth habit and foliage and flower characteristics.

Asexual reproduction of ‘PIILAG B1’ by stem cuttings in Watkinsville, Ga. since 2009 has shown that all the unique features of this new Lagerstroemia, as herein described, are stable and reproduced true-to-type through successive generations of such asexual propagation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new cultivar ‘PIILAG B1’ have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with changes in light, temperature, soil and rainfall without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be unique characteristics of ‘RAG B1’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘PIILAG B1’ as a new and distinct cultivar: 1. Compact, rounded intermediate growth habit; 2. Reddish new growth; 3. Lustrous dark green foliage in summer; 4. White flowers; 5. Resistance to powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot.

Plants of ‘PIILAG B1’ differ from plants of the parent, #5, primarily in growth habit and foliage quality. Plants of #5 have a compact, rounded dwarf growth habit and foliage that emerges bright green and matures to medium green, whereas plants of ‘PIILAG B1’ have an overall larger, compact, rounded intermediate growth habit and foliage that emerges red and matures to lustrous dark green.

Plants of ‘PIILAG B1’ can be compared to the cultivar ‘White Chocolate’ (unpatented), but differ in growth habit and foliage color. Plants of ‘PIILAG B1’ have a compact, rounded intermediate growth habit and foliage that emerges red and matures to lustrous dark green, whereas plants of ‘White Chocolate’ have an overall larger, rounded growth habit and reddish purple new growth that matures to purplish green.

Plants of ‘PIILAG B1’ can be compared to the cultivar ‘PIILAG-I’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 23,168), but differ in growth habit and overall size of foliage and flowers. Plants of ‘PIILAG B1’ have a compact, rounded intermediate growth habit, whereas plants of ‘PIILAG-I’ have a dwarf, rounded growth habit and overall smaller foliage and flowers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying color photographs illustrate the flower and foliage characteristics and the overall appearance of ‘PIILAG B1’, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in color reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Lagerstroemia.

FIG. 1 illustrates the overall appearance of a mature plant of ‘PIILAG B1’ in a container.

FIG. 2 illustrates a close-up view of the new growth of ‘PIILAG B1’.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. Plants used for the description were approximately two years old and were grown in 11.8 L containers under outdoor conditions in Watkinsville, Ga. Colors are described using The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart (R.H.S.).

-   Botanical classification: Lagerstroemia L., cultivar ‘PIILAG B1’.     Parentage: Female, or seed, parent: Lagerstroemia #5 (unpatented).     Male, or pollen parent: unknown (open-pollinated). Propagation:     terminal cuttings. Time to initiate roots, summer: about 21 days at     32° C. -   Plant description:     -   -   Flowering shrub.—compact, rounded intermediate growth habit.             Freely branching; pruning enhances lateral branch             development.         -   Root description.—numerous, fine, fibrous and well-branched.         -   Plant size.—the original plant, now about five-years-old in             the ground, is about 137 cm high from the soil level to the             top of the inflorescences and about 122 cm wide. First year             stems have a diameter of about 2.5 mm. Shape: squarish.             Second year and older stems have a diameter of about 5 mm or             more. Shape: round.         -   Trunk diameter.—3 cm at the soil line. Color: N199B.         -   Internode length.—about 2.1 cm.         -   Strength.—flexible when young, easily broken once mature.         -   First year stem color (young).—183A. Color (woody): 200D.         -   Second year and older stem color.—N199B.         -   Bark.—exfoliates in strips beginning on second or third year             stems. -   Vegetative buds: Sub-opposite to alternate in arrangement,     imbricate, conical, with no pubescence. Color: 183B. Size: about 2.5     mm in length and 1 mm in width. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—sub-opposite to alternate, simple. Length:             about 5 cm. Width: about 3 cm. Shape: elliptical. Apex:             acuminate. Base: cuneate. Margin: entire.         -   Texture (upper and lower surfaces).—glabrous and glossy.         -   Venation pattern.—pinnate. Venation color of emerging             foliage (upper and lower surfaces): 180A. Venation color of             fully expanded foliage (upper and lower surfaces): 47A.         -   Color in developing foliage (upper and lower             surfaces).—180A. Color in fully expanded foliage (upper             surface): 147A. Color in fully expanded foliage (lower             surface): 147B.         -   Petiole length.—about 2 mm. Petiole diameter: about 1 mm.             Petiole color (upper and lower surfaces): 177A. Pubescence:             none. -   Flower description: Flowers are produced from about June to     September in Watkinsville, Ga. An inflorescence is showy for about     two weeks, and individual flowers last about one day and are     self-cleaning.     -   -   Inflorescence type.—panicle. Inflorescence length: about             12 cm. Inflorescence width: about 9.5 cm.         -   Peduncle.—about 10 cm in length, about 2 mm in diameter,             color is 178B, and no pubescence.         -   Individual flowers.—about 2.2 cm in height and 3.7 cm in             diameter.         -   Flower buds.—Length: about 8 mm; Diameter: about 8 mm;             Color: 39D.         -   Pedicels.—about 7 mm in length, 178B in color, and no             pubescence.         -   Calyx.—about 9 mm in length, about 1.1 cm in diameter, 36A             in color, and no pubescence. -   Petals:     -   -   Arrangement/appearance.—usually 6 or 7 per flower.         -   Petal length.—about 1.9 cm.         -   Petal width.—about 1.3 cm.         -   Petal shape.—fan-shaped. Petal apex: ruffled, rounded. Petal             base: sagittate. Petal margin: ruffled. Petal texture (upper             and lower surfaces): glabrous.         -   Petal color.—upper and lower surfaces are 155C. -   Stamens:     -   -   Quantity/arrangement.—About 25 to 30 short stamens clustered             in the center, about 8 mm long, filament color is 2C, and             anther color is 13A. The short stamens are surrounded by 6             longer stamens, about 1.2 cm long, filament color is 63A,             and anther color is N199C. The stamens are not pubescent.             Pollen: produced in moderate quantities and is 13B in color             on the short stamens and 144C in color on the long stamens. -   Pistils:     -   -   Quantity.—One superior pistil per flower. Pubescence: none.             Pistil length: about 1.9 cm in length. Stigma shape: round,             about 1 mm in diameter. Stigma color: 146B. Style color:             178D and about 1.6 cm in length. Ovary color: 5D and about 2             mm in diameter. -   Fruit:     -   -   Type/appearance.—six-valved, dehiscent, broad ellipsoidal             capsule. Length: about 8 mm. Diameter: about 7 mm. Immature             color: 144A. Mature color: 200C. Each capsule contains many             seeds that are about 5 mm long, 3 mm wide, and 200C in             color. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the claimed Lagerstroemia variety     grown in field and container trials have exhibited resistance to     powdery mildew and Cercospora leaf spot. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Lagerstroemia plant named ‘PIILAG B1’, as illustrated and described herein. 